Cost-effectiveness of a digital supportive healthcare pathway for type 2 diabetes compared to usual care in Belgium

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a digital supportive healthcare pathway in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) compared to usual care. Methods: An age-dependent Markov model was applied from a healthcare payer perspective projecting results of a clinical trial study over a time horizon of 22 years assuming a continuous implementation of the intervention every year, 24/7. The setting was Flanders (Belgium). One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed. Results: The hybrid care pathway led to a quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gain of 5.97, while the costs increased with €663,036. This resulted in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of €110,989/QALY. With a cost-effectiveness threshold of 45,000€/QALY, the hybrid care pathway was found not cost-effective compared to the usual care trajectory. Sensitivity analyses showed that over 50% of iterations exceeded the threshold, with a cost-effectiveness probability of 13.12% at €45,000/QALY. Conclusions: This cost-effectiveness analysis indicates that a hybrid care pathway is unlikely to be a cost-effective approach compared to the standard care trajectory in patients with T2DM. Nevertheless, the exploration of technology-driven healthcare pathways are vital for advancing patient well-being, emphasizing the need for further research to optimize resource utilization and enhance outcomes effectively.